Symposium on Technology Transfer and Innovation

First NRN Global Knowledge Convention

Symposium: Technology Transfer and Innovation

Date: 14 October 2018

Time: 08:15-12:50

Hall: TB

Technological innovation is the foundation of knowledge-based economy. Technological advancement can be achieved through domestic innovation and technology transferred from other countries. Nepali diaspora has a significant experience in technological innovations, technology transfer and intellectual property protection. This session will explore how diaspora expertise can be utilized in achieving knowledge-based economy in supporting innovation in Nepal.

Background:
Nepal has had a late start to adapt to science and technology (S&T) and was left out of the social transformation embraced by the rest of the world from the Industrial revolution. Ne-pal’s first S&T policy was started in 1961 with the help from UNESCO which led to setting up government Research and Development (R&D) departments, Royal Drug Research and Agricultural Departments. Tribhuvan University (TU)’s first Research Centre for Science and Technology (RECAST) was established in 1977. Almost a decade later, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) was established in 1982 to coordinate overall S&T activi-ties. Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) and National Planning Commission were subsequently established in 1992 and later Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) to consolidate and modernize S&T activities and bring them under one umbrella. Despite all above initiatives, Nepal has failed to consolidate and use science and technology effectively as an important tool of prosperity till to-date.

In almost 70-year span, Nepal’s failure to change public perception about the importance of science education and S&T is reflected on its S&T commitment of 0.3 % of GDP. Of the cur-rent 29 million population, we have less than 200,000 post-graduate/higher education man-power and only 20% of schools teach science at grade 12 level today. World Trade Organiza-tion (WTO) has predicted that by 2020, 40% of global employment in any industry, would need at least undergraduate level manpower. Nepal is likely to fare poorly in this arena.
Nepal’s skilled youth population is leaving for overseas in large numbers (with 30% annual increase) in search of higher education and likewise highly skilled manpower is also leaving Nepal for a better life in foreign lands. This would create a huge vacuum in the country and Nepal would not have enough skilled human resources to meet the growing industry needs.

Nepal needs to drastically increase the budget for science education and S&T to develop in-frastructure and join global race for knowledge and technology innovation, transfer and adap-tation. In this endeavor, increased role, investment and contributions from the private sector is equally important. Country’s S&T policies needs revisit to develop clear future strategy and direction based on a strong collaborative, partnership and co-investment model with NRNA (Non-Resident Nepali Association) and global institutions to catch up with developing coun-tries. The session’s focus will be on above issues and suggest measures how public sectors, donor, local industries and academia sectors could work effectively to make innovation and technology transfer achievable and make a meaningful contribution to nation prosperity.

The Plenary and Symposium sessions will focus on the following five themes
1. Government policies and initiatives on Innovation, Start-ups and Technology transfer
2. Technology transfer and product development through Start-up.
3. Case studies of Diaspora and Nepali S&T Experiences on Biotechnology, Energy, IT, Health disciplines
4. Private sectors and investors perspectives
5. IP portfolio and policies

The Plenary session will discuss the above themes in macroscopic level and Symposium will focus on more microscopic discussions.